The Minister for Independence ():...Thirdly, the 2020 act,
like the levelling-up agenda, gives UK ministers a tool to
dictate policy in devolved areas to this Parliament. We have
already seen that with the Deposit return
scheme, which is wholly within devolved competency. The
UK Government, at the eleventh hour, disregarded the agreed
process and refused an exclusion from the 2020 act for our
Scottish scheme, without providing any evidence for its decision,
while we are asked to provide significant amounts of evidence
throughout the process.
The UK Government was prepared to allow a scheme to proceed only
if it reflected that Government’s policy for England—which does
not even exist yet—and not the policy that was decided
democratically in this Parliament for Scotland. We now find
ourselves totally dependent on progress by the UK Government in
England to implement a Deposit return
scheme without glass, despite the UK Government’s own
evidence showing that aspect to be economically and
environmentally beneficial to such a scheme, with which Scotland
must align...
(Midlothian South,
Tweeddale and Lauderdale) (SNP):...Once again, I turn to the
United Kingdom Internal Market Act 2020—the orphaned child of the
European Union and its internal markets act. It has proved an
excellent unionist tool for prising open devolution. It has
blocked the Deposit return
scheme and it can block the banning of the sale of glue
traps, snares and shock collars. In fact, its blocking powers are
wide ranging. If someone sells goods or provides services across
the UK, the UK internal market act ensures that they can continue
to do so. The leave of the UK is required if we wish to vary
something. Would minimum unit pricing of alcohol have passed here
if we had had the internal market act? I doubt it...
(West Scotland)
(Green):...Today’s debate could not be more timely, given the
letter that was received by the Net Zero, Energy and Transport
Committee just this morning from the UK Secretary of State for
Scotland, . Mr Jack used the power that
he now holds as a result of the internal market act to wreck the
Scottish Deposit return
scheme for bottles and cans. Since July, the committee
has, understandably, sought a UK Government minister to appear
before it to explain his actions, but that invitation has been
refused and refused again. Why is hiding? What is he running
scared of?
(Central Scotland) (Con):...I
point out to members and to , in particular, that, in fact,
the secretary of state supported the exemption for a Deposit return
scheme. He said that the UK Government—his office—was
prepared to help the implementation. The idea that it was
wrecking the scheme seems a rather strange notion.
: The fact that could not even keep a
straight face while he said that says it all.
The UK Government said that there could be an exemption and that
Scotland could be granted it if the Deposit return
scheme matched the UK scheme in areas such as the level
of the deposit. The problem was that the UK Government had not
yet set a deposit. It still has not done so. It set deliberately
impossible conditions for Scotland’s DRS. That
is how it sabotaged the scheme...
For context, OPEN HERE
